Rosca Horsemanship

31/08/2026

Simplicity.

Something I have been craving over recent months is simplicity.

We are exposed to so much stimulation and information that it can be all too easy for the simplest of things to become heavily overcomplicated. At times this can easily transfer across the board, from how we ourself interpret information, to problem solving and, of course, the confusion people as to what is the best course for their horse.

When it comes to my practice, specifically more so from a working protocol, a focus of mine has been to further consolidate my craft, what I do and how I do so, ensuring my communication and contact with you all is regular, from updates to more effective lesson schedules; relevant, yet simple.

How will I be simplifying?

- My brand new bi-monthly newsletter, ‘The Conscious Horseman’s Collective’ is ready to be received! The newsletter will feature multiple journal entries, the latest upcoming events, social media updates as well as my training suggestions and wellness updates sent direct to your inbox; ensure to sign up via the website!

- I recently created a new Substack account, however I will be discontinuing Substack for all blogs and articles to be published on the website on The Journal section, of which new updates will be cross-posted on the page.

- Over the coming months I will be looking to make a few adjustments to my weekly teaching schedule to offer routine lesson days and times, as I have previously done, combined with getting back to covering specific areas on certain days to condense travelling, economise fuel and utilise time more effectively.

- From now on, for new lesson enquires that would benefit from a phone-call prior to arranging a lesson, I will be allocating three time slots through the week to accommodate 10 minute consultations; this is as much a boundary for myself and to ensure phone-calls are booked appropriately.

As all my lovely regulars know I am on-hand for advice as and when I am able between lessons, however this will only be extended to individuals I am actively working with; seeking consistent free advice outside of a 6 month period, exceptional and specific circumstances aside, will require a lesson booking or paid consultation be this online or through phone-call.

- For anyone contacting me for the first time via telephone, please follow up your call with a text message or Whatsapp message; I have had a high number of spam numbers over recent weeks and have taken to not answering calls I receive multiple numbers for as a result.

28/08/2026

When we are working with the horses limbs, we need to consider an often overlooked aspect; comfort.

We must ensure they are comfortable in their mind; how do they feel about the exercise, situation or context?

We must ensure they are comfortable in their body; are there any restrictions, limitations are irritations?

We must ensure they are comfortable with us; how do we show up, interact or communicate when asking for a limb?

When I first met Winnie he presented a number of defensive behaviours that were exacerbated when he was in the stable environment; there were natural parallels to how he felt around people that were present both in and out of the stable, which we began working with from the off.

Now just a few months later, Winnie is turning into a very different horse.

From a horse that would guard when entering the stable space and would react in the stable, to one who's eyes now light up and ears prick forward when I walk towards the stable and is comfortable to share this same space with people.

A large area of concern for Winnie had been his hoof-care and limb handling. Which had been exacerbated by mites and dermatitis.

Whilst his confidence was building prior to receiving initial treatment, unsurprisingly, the progress he has made since has been one of increased comfort in his body, in his mind and in his handlers.

In this clip from our recent session showcasing a little tactile work over the limbs, in the stable without a halter, with a little check in before and after.

Only when a horse is comfortable with the tough to we then move towards the lift.

25/08/2026

IN CONVERSATION WITH.. DR. TOMAS TESKEY

The Brand New Episode

In this weeks episode, Amy and Ross were pleased to be joined by sixth generation horseman, doctor of veterinary medicine and author of the book 'Insight to Equus', Dr. Tomas G. Teskey.

Among his many accolades as an equine dentist, hoof care professional and veterinarian, Dr. Teskey is one of the few professional holistic veterinarians that truly looks at the whole horse to promote real health and healing.

In a conversation sure to challenge thoughts and change perspectives, Dr. Tomas talks of what first drew him towards a career in veterinary medicine and his continued professional progression in a multitude of complementary areas, before discussing the importance of healthy environments to promote true healing within the horse, how this looks in the face of a changing climate and the collective hope we can achieve together for the future.

From practical information to philosophical conversation, this is one for both the horseman and philosophers.

Streaming now on all platforms including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, Youtube & more!

Listen here: https://littlehorsebigconversation.podbean.com

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Areion Academy
Rosca Horsemanship
Tomas G. Teskey Veterinary Insights
The Little Horse Big Conversation Podcast

24/08/2026

A picture can tell a thousand words,

but the words only mean something to us if we can understand them.

Equine behaviour is spoken it subtitles, shouts and whispers, depending on a multitude of factors that often boils down to our level of awareness and ability to respond appropriately to our horses communication.

One of the primary areas that a horse will present behavioural signals through is their facial expression.

The recognition of our horses facial expressions gives us a subtle window in to how their experiencing their environment, the stimulus they are interacting with and their emotional association with the current situation; what we must always remember is that behaviour is context-specific and we must be aware of how the rest of the body is presenting.

We have recently began working through jaw and bridle flexions with Alfie, a series of exercises that I have only felt appropriate to introduce over recent sessions due to his availability, and to see the positive emotional change with, not only the bridle, but how he feels about a cue through the bridle, has been lovely to watch transpire.

The flexions are not the sole contributor, they have been working alongside diligent ownership, nutrition and counter-conditioning cues and associations, but they have provided Alfie with a further step towards feeling safe inside of the question.

23/08/2026

I am looking at bringing something new to my teaching schedule, and would appreciate and be interested in hearing your thoughts.

I am considering offering one week of intensive teaching once a month, one session a day over 4/5 days within a 7 day period, for the same clients.

For those working with me, as an example, this would condense one session per week over a four week period into one session per day over 4/5 days within a 7 day period, offering more regular support in a shorter time period, before repeating this teaching schedule in 3 weeks time.

I would have a maximum number of spaces a day for this, and I would need to ensure they could link in together on the travel route so I can offer specific scheduled times for each individual, each day, over the course of that week.

This new structure will be available to current clients, and if spaces allow, also available to those who may be interested that fit in to the lesson travel route.

If this would be something of interest to you, I would really like to hear your thoughts and feedback.

21/08/2026

34 episodes, 7000 downloads and listen to on over 35 countries!

Thanks everyone 🙌

There’s a conversation you’ll want to hear

If you’re new around here, there’s something I’ve been doing for a while…

Little Horse, Big Conversation, the podcast I host with Ross Cooper from Rosca Horsemanship.

We’re now 34 episodes in, with over 7,000 downloads worldwide, listeners in 35 countries, and we're consistently in the Top 100 Apple Podcasts Leisure & Hobbies charts

And we’ve covered a lot of ground!!

From equine welfare, training and hoof care, to psychology, personal growth and the relationship between horses and humans, these are conversations that often go beyond the obvious.

We don't always agree, we don't always have the same perspective, and that’s exactly what makes the conversations interesting👀

We also bring in guests from both within and outside the equestrian world, sharing different experiences, expertise and opinions.

For me, the best conversations are the ones that make you stop and think, and hopefully this podcast does a little bit of that😊

So if you've not listened yet, 34 episodes gives you plenty to catch up on!!

Search Little Horse, Big Conversation Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and let us know which episode you start with🎙️

20/08/2026

The question that is on many a person’s mind:

No rain.

No grass.

So how are horses retaining excess weight?

This Summer in the UK has seen exceptionally high heat conditions and prolonged spells of little-to-no rain (I actually can’t remember the last time it did rain!) with three quarters of England being officially classed as in-drought, with July being mentioned as the driest for 190 years.

Winter itself was mild, with temperatures above seasonal average, contributing to continued pasture growth and the majority of horses not dropping weight as they would do within their natural seasonal cycle; the result was most horses entering the Spring season with no real change in their weight loss.

Even though we have seen a lack of rainfall for many months, resulting in poor growing conditions for grasses over the Spring and Summer, myself and other professions across the board are continuing to see an influx in metabolic issues, laminitis and sustained weight issues, so what is happening?

Grasses, when lacking rainfall due to drought conditions become stressed, resulting in poor growth; it is a misconception that brown grass is dead, it has merely entered a state of dormancy due to the environmental conditions.

The colouration is due to the plant lacking in chlorophyll production, giving plants their vibrant green colouration. Pasture grazing that is stressed concentrate the sugars but do not use them to grow, raising the risk of insulin dysregulation and laminitis; the sugars concentrate in the remaining plant matter which is different to sugar production that is impaired by reduced chlorophyll, needed in photosynthesis.

In addition to this, my awareness of physiology and how wildlife fare in parts of the world where drought conditions can be common and more extreme is that the body conserves resources due to the an unpredictable environment, interfering with normal bodily functions due to the stress on the body.

Researching the subject a little further confirms that metabolism responds to heat stress and dehydration by lowering insulin sensitivity, spiking cortisol levels that in turn block insulin receptors and concentrating blood glucose; this means the body does not respond effectively to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar, stalling fat loss and leading to weight gain and accumulation. The body develops insulin resistance to conserve energy and prioritise the function and health of vital organs.

From a biological perspective, this makes perfect sense and it is the bodies way of responding to internal and external factors.

Awareness of how the body interacts with the environment, and how the environment reacts to a changing climate is going to be of benefit to us in the years to come for improved management protocols for our horses.

17/08/2026

We can often overlook the monumental effects that indirect training has in favour of what happens in direct training.

An indirect response is when a change comes as a result of something not directly focused on or related to the specific situation, yet can often happen as a result of working directly on a different focus.

When I first met Jasper a few years ago, his responses were defensive, his body compromised and both mind and body were stuck in patterns of protection that had been ingrained over the years.

A few weeks ago, I was abroad when I received a photo of Jasper having his routine dental with Chris from Centaur Equine Dentistry.

This was the first time Jasper has had a dental with no sedation and from what I hear, was willing and co-operative throughout.

During the last few months, I have felt Jasper turn another corner; his mind is softer, his body is able to move and support itself in ways to this point has not been able to, and we have made huge consecutive progress with his bridling, introducing fascia activation and jaw mobilisation in tandem.

Jasper’s willingness to connect with people has he has done over recent months shows what has been inside all along now that he feels safe enough in his own body to start asking questions ,and trusting the ones in which we ask of him.

Safety; it’s amazing what can happen when a horse begins to feel it.

11/08/2026

COLLABORATION OR INDIGNATION

The Brand New Episode

Episode 34

This week, Amy and Ross bring the topic of collaboration within the equine industry to the forefront of the conversation.

Ross and Amy explore their observations as professionals within the equine industry and their personal experiences on collaboration, the importance of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team for the good of the horse and reasons as to why their may be hesitations for professionals to join together and share knowledge, and what this may evoke for individuals.

Streaming now on all platforms including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, Youtube & more!

Listen here: https://littlehorsebigconversation.podbean.com

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Areion Academy
Rosca Horsemanship
The Little Horse Big Conversation Podcast